Theme Day Roadmap
Theme Day sessions are an opportunity to be innovative and enhance the traditional educational experience of the residency. These sessions allow developing faculty and residents to teach a core curriculum topic in a creative and novel way.
By including universal concepts such as radiology, simulation, guest/expert speakers, procedures, literature, and pharmacy, a common thread of inventive concepts become weaved into essential topics which are central to residents’ educational experience. By having a theme to the day, it allows for repetition that enhances the residents’ retention of the information at hand.
Responsibilities
Work together as a team to construct learning objectives
Master your assigned content
Communicate frequently with your team
Employ active-learning formats that are engaging for participants
Consider logistics, timing, materials, and your physical space
Learning Formats
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The "flipped classroom" is an instructional strategy that reverses the traditional learning environment by delivering instructional content online for prior study, so that the Theme Day can focus on deepening understanding through discussion, problem solving, and other active learning activities.
Any asynchronous content should be sent to the Chiefs to distribute to residents no less than one week prior to your Theme Day.
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Medical simulation is a critical and highly anticipated component of the theme day design.
In an effort to improve the quality of the residency simulation experience, all theme day simulations must be created using a standard template that can be found on the teamsite. While simulation is not a required part of theme day, if you choose to create a case, please email Neel Naik (nen9010@med.cornell.edu), Annie Katz (ark9038@med.cornell.edu), or Chris Reisig (chr2019@med.cornell.edu) at least 8 weeks prior to the theme day to help with creation of the case. By utilizing this template, you should be able to publish your case after your theme day is done. It will also allow you to focus your learning objectives and facilitate more informative debriefing sessions.
If you choose to complete a simulation case as part of theme day, it is expected that you budget enough time for a debrief session. This can be done as a full group or in small groups but is a requirement for effective learning through simulation.
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Gamification can be an exciting way to increase engagement with your educational content.
Examples of games adapted for Theme Day by prior resident groups include Jeopardy, escape rooms, obstacle courses, CodeNames, trivia, SimWars, SonoGames, etc.
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To reinforce learning objectives, consider embedding quiz questions during or after your Theme Day activities. It is helpful if these questions model ITE test questions.
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Any guest speakers that are to be invited should be emailed as early as possible when planning your Theme Day. 3-4 weeks before your Theme Day, check in with guest speakers and provide a detailed agenda for the day inclusive of what the team would like the guest’s role to be specifically.
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Below are a list ideas/tools used by prior teams or that have potential for future use:
Gamification
Panel Discussion
Quizzes (can use apps/online platforms, like Kahoot!)
Problem solving challenges
Debates
Chalk Talks
Hands-On Practice
Spoken Word/Rap
Narrative Medicine
Suggested Timeline
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8 Weeks Prior
Meet with your Theme Day group to solidify ideas, delineate roles, and determine learning objectives
Solidify your content plan and how you are are going to deliver it
Prepare your Theme Day Worksheet to present to the education committee
Contact faculty mentors
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4 Weeks Prior
Check in with your team to ensure everyone is on track, and review the content and the flow of day.
Present your plan to the Education Committee at your scheduled meeting.
Confirm you have the resources (space and materials) you need.
Communicate your equipment and space needs with the SIM Center staff (simulation@med.cornell.edu)
Individual team members should continue working on their deliverables
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2 Weeks Prior
Meet with your group to review the plan and logistics
Practice run through for your group, including movement of attendees, content presentations, test technology to be used
Confirm outside resources (SIM center, materials, faculty, guest speakers)
Send a template of your Theme Day schedule to the chiefs for the conference email
Theme Day Checklist
✅ Initial planning meeting with your Theme Day group (8 weeks prior)
✅ Contact faculty mentors (6-8 weeks prior)
✅ Complete the Theme Day worksheet (6-8 weeks prior)
✅ Respond to the scheduling email with your availability for the Education Committee meeting (5 weeks prior)
✅ Present your Theme Day plan to the Education Committee (4 weeks prior)
✅ Meet with your Theme Day group to adjust plan based on feedback from Education Committee (4 weeks prior)
✅ Communicate your space and equipment needs with the SIM Center (simulation@med.cornell.edu) (3-4 weeks prior)
✅ Procure any other equipment needed (3-4 weeks prior)
✅ Finalize plan, content, logistics, and schedule for your Theme Day (2 weeks prior)
✅ Provide the education chiefs with a schedule of your Theme Day as well as any asynchronous material (1 week prior)
Questions About Theme Day?
Reach out to the Education Chiefs at nypemchiefs@gmail.com, or email Dr. Trudi Cloyd at tsc2141@cumc.columbia.edu.